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SEASONAL SELF-CARE BLOG

Second Chakra-Svadhisthana

Posted on November 17th, 2015

The Sanskrit name for the second chakra “Svadhisthana” translates as “Sva” as “one’s own” and adishthana “the place of residence”, meaning “the original home of the self.” It houses one’s unconscious mind, mental imprints “samskaras”, past lives and experiences, karma, and ancestral memory. Located between the genitals and the sacral nerve plexus, it is often referred to as the sacral chakra. Governing our reproductive and urinary organs, the second chakra guides our sexuality, emotions, intimacy, pleasure, desire, and personal relationships. Taste is the sense organ and the element is water.

The orange lotus of the second chakra has six petals. As with all of the chakras, on each of the petals is one of the letters of the Sanskrit alphabet. Chanting the Sanskrit sound resonates through the petal of the chakra and the related areas in the body, offering therapeutic healing through the sound vibration. This is the same for all 50 letters of the Sanskrit alphabet and the total of 50 petals of all of the chakras. The particular sanskrit letters for the second chakra are ba, bha, ma, ya, ra and la. They are written on the 6 petals of the orange lotus. The bija mantra for the sacral chakra is Vam, written in the center of the lotus.

The beautiful image of the Second Chakra is from “The Invisible Seven Psychic Lotuses” by YogaShakti Mission.

WATER ELEMENT

Water is the element of the second chakra, “Svadhisthana”. Governing our reproductive and urinary organs, the second chakra guides our sexuality, emotions, intimacy, pleasure, desire, and personal relationships. Deeply nourishing, water invites fluidity, cleansing, flow, lubrication, ease and support both in our bodies and lives.

The healing powers of water draws us all to oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, waterfalls, swimming holes, hot springs, hot tubs, bath tubs, and steam rooms to be restored and rejuvenated. I teach all of my yoga retreats on the water immersed in nature to help restore our stressed out body/minds and nourish our spirits. These pictures were taken at my Thailand Retreat at Jungle Yoga, our gorgeous retreat center, floating on the water in the midst of Koh Sok National Park. It is incredibly healing to be immersed in the elements so completely!

As fabulous as it is to submerse yourself in water in nature, it is also important to nourish the water element within our own bodies.

In Ayurveda, Ojas, our primal vitality, is the subtle energy of water which nourishes and sustains us. Similar to primordial yin, Ojas offers us endurance and resilience through cellular immunity.

According to Chinese Medicine, the kidneys, often referred to as the mother organ, are the connected to the element of water, governing all that flows within us. They rule the reproductive, developmental and urinary systems, the health of the lower back, our bones, and hearing. Since our bodies are said to be approximately 70% water, we are bathed in an internal ocean of fluids and the health of our kidneys is essential.

Unfortunately our stressful lifestyles, overwork, lack of sleep, overindulgence in caffeine, sweets, sex, prescription and recreational drugs, and environmental toxins, among other things overheats our system, weakens our kidney chi and we feel “burnt out”. In this state, the cooling capacity of the kidneys is tapped out and unable to cool our overheated state.

SUPTA BADDHA KONASANA
To restore fluidity, easeful flow in our beings, we can do specific yoga and self-care practices to help nourish the health of our kidneys, the water element within us, and our second chakra, “Sacral chakra.” Winter is the Season to tend to the kidneys and water element.

One of the most beneficial poses for the Second Chakra is Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclined Bound Angle Pose). Opening the inner leg lines which correspond to the Kidney meridian-the water element in our being, this pose nurtures the cooling, healing energy in our body/mind. Surrendering into the complete support of Supta Baddha Konasana offers you a delicious invitation to completely soften and nourish your whole being. It helps relieve stress and anxiety, calms the nerves, and quiets the incessant chatter in the mind. Also known as Goddess pose, it is extremely beneficial for women, helping ease pre-menstrual, menstrual, as well as menopause discomfort and agitation.

BHUDI MUDRA

Try Bhudi Mudra (fluid mudra) to help nourish the water element, balance your second chakra, and restore fluidity and easeful emotional flow in your being. Bhudi Mudra can help revitalize and maintain fluid balance in our bodies which are 50-70% water. This simple sacred gesture, helps when you have dry and burning eyes, or dryness in the mouth, kidney and bladder issues. It is said to improve the sense of taste, which is the sense organ for the second chakra.